Coming to the Still Waters

Today's verses are Colossians 4:2-6, which read,   v.2-4 - Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.   After a section on specific instruction to different groups who have become Christians, Paul goes to a general instruction to all Christians.  Christians are to pray and we are to devote ourselves to prayer.  Devote means to be courageously persistent or to hold fast and not let go.  Does this describe your prayer time with God? Our prayer is to be a priority that we are alert as we do it.  In its most basic form it means to actually stay awake but in a deeper sense it means to be alert to what we are praying about.  We are praying in concrete terms about situation...

Today's verses are Colossians 3:22-4:1, which read,   v.22 - Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Slavery was a part of ancient society.  The Bible is not promoting slavery but rather acknowledging it and that there were people becoming Christians who were in the state of being slaves.  Just as wives, husbands, children, and parents needed Biblical instruction so did the slaves who were putting their hands in the hands of Jesus. We can easily apply these principles to the employee and the employer today.  Our service of obedience to our employer is not to be just external.  I think you can look at this as obedience that is not just followed when they are present but also an obedience that is not just on the surface for your employer.  Your employer is a creation of God and has a soul that needs to hear and...

Today's verses are Colossians 3:18-21, which read,   v.18 - Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Paul's instruction for the new Christians in Colossae get more specific as he starts naming some groups.  The first is the wives and as consistent with other letters of his and also the whole of Scripture, the wives are to be willingly putting themselves under their husbands.  This action is in obedience to the Lord and obedience to the Lord brings glory to Him.  v.19 - Husbands, love your wives and so not be embittered against them. The love spoken of here is the highest and deepest love described in the Greek language.  The love we are to have for our wives as husbands is that which is served selflessly.  It is focused on them rather than ourselves.  The husbands must have had a problem with being bitter or harsh with their wives so Paul gives specific instruction to cease this activity.   v.20 - Childre...